1942 American Artist Magazine: A Review of the National War Poster Competition

 

Matlack Price, American Artist's Art-in-War Editor, reviews the National War Poster Competition that, in 1942, was showing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from November 25, 1942  to January 3, 1943. This December 1942 American Artist Magazine highlights the contest, presenting Jaro Fabry's ("It Won No Prize") entry on its cover. I can't decide if the editors are reprimanding the contest judges or just wanted a Fabry cover -- since Jaro Fabry was a well-known illustrator, and, as Price writes, most of the poster entries were from unknown artists.

"The contest should prove that the visual message is still the most potent medium for reaching the public. It should demonstrate that the overwhelming art resources can be applied usefully to winning the war."

Price delves into the categories and process of the contest. Sadly, since color printing was expensive, the posters are reproduced in black and white. I added a couple in color below. But regardless, some good images and some (sadly) pertinent issues are visualized. 

Here's the article from the December 1942 American Artist Magazine, which I bought last month at the Arundel, Maine flea market. It's still very nicely preserved. 

Here are a few of the entries, in color, pulled from the web:

More at the MOMA site. Here's a photo from the 1942 exhibition.

Steve Brodner on the Charlie Kirk Shooting and the Trump Administration's Response

I am appalled by the assassination this week. We need gun laws. Here's Steve Brodner's take on this week's Charlie Kirk shooting and the Trump administration's response. This is from his Greater Quiet substack. Please consider subscribing.

Mort Walker on Roy Lichtenstein

In honor of the 75th anniversary of Beetle Bailey, here's the time Lichtenstein was invited to a National Cartoonists Society meeting by Mort Walker. This is via Craig Yoe:

Related:

Russ Heath on Lichtenstein

 

-- Edited from a blog post of August 29, 2022.

"Adventures of the Range Rider" Illustrations by Lou Glanzman

 

Here are some of the drawings by Lou Glanzman for the Adventures of the Range Rider, a 1956 kids' book written by Felix Sutton. (I don't believe the cover is Glanzman's work.) This paperback was printed on newsprint and the interior is two-color. The black line drawings, with orange tones, looked pretty unique and the way that Glanzman treated each gatefold like a shot from a big screen Western movie is fun. 

"Lew" Glanzman (1922-2013) was an American painter and illustrator. He started out during the Golden Age of Comics drawing for Centaur Comics (Amazing Man, Blue Fire, etc.). And in the 1940s 

"... he also served as an illustrator on the Air Force magazine for the US Air Forces.

"Glanzman was additionally an illustrator for Life, Collier's, Seventeen and Time Magazine, standing out for his portraits. From the 1950s through the 1970s, he illustrated for several juvenile books, such as the 'Pippi Longstocking' and 'Tom Corbett' series. He also made illustrations for paperbacks, as well as magazines like Boy's Life, National Geographic and National Lampoon." - Lambiek

His work here is loose and confident, and the drawings show an ease with this world, as if he just sketched it in his sketchbook and handed them to the printer. The layout is cinematic, with grand vistas and sweeping action. Well worth a study. 

Here's the first of the three Range Rider stories.
 

Documentary: Farewell Etaoin Shrdlu (1978)

From the Internet Archive, a 30 minute documentary directed by David Loeb about the last edition of the New York Times to be set by a Linotype machine. The end of an era.

"On July 2, 1978, the last hot lead edition of the New York Times rolled off the presses. Weiss, a proofreader for the Times, documented the phasing out of this historical process, and what impresses us now, beyond the Ludlow machine (which casts the lead at 535 degrees), the Linotype machine (operated for the last time by Carl Schlesinger, who also narrates the film), and the presses, is the incredible noise generated by all these people and devices. The process is fascinating and sad, and the new computers seem baleful in the fluorescent lights of the new composing rooms. The film is as much about the passing of the mechanical age as it is about the newspaper biz, as told by those who were there that day..."

 

CBS Mornings Video: "Beetle Bailey" celebrates 75 years

 

I chatted with Brian Walker at last month's National Cartoonists Society Reubens convention. He came up to me and said that he had the book. This was before I even had a chance to ask about Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey: 75 Years of Smiles! I had to wait until the next morning when he actually had the book on him. It's massive and wonderfully produced by Fantagraphics. A lot of the scans were done by Brian himself, and it's a gorgeous, fitting tribute to his Dad. Here he is, with his brothers Greg and Chance, chatting about the strip and their Dad and his legacy. 

Hoyt Curtin - Hanna-Barbera Underscore Megamix

It just popped up on my queue so I listened. Glad I did. 

I was surprised at all of this Hanna Barbera cartoon background music by Hoyt Curtin that I remembered way back in my brain. Hanna Barbera programming was a huge part of growing up and watching TV cartoons, and all of his music was a big part of The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, Ruff 'n' Ready, etc. I listened to this while I drove the car home yesterday and it sure is some good driving music. Via kitschbonbon:

Documentary: John Candy: I Like Me

I'll be watching when this is out.

 

Video: Dying is Easy, COMICS ARE HARD, presenting Columbia University's KAREN GREEN

 Via Stephen DeStefano:

Here's a terrific conversation between Stephen (a 40+ year veteran cartoonist, has won two Emmys and drawn dozens of comic books) and Columbia's Curator for Comics and Cartoons Karen Green. They talk about her love for comics and how she formed Columbia into a mecca for comics. It was not easy!

The Garden As of Early September

 

Here's the garden as of the first of September. All of the greens are starting to fade. The trees are just now beginning to show some color. There have been a few cool nights; cool enough for a fire in the wood stove. 

The garden is showing its age now. The squash vine borers decimated the yellow squash, damn them. Cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes are ripening. The fence, new this year, has done its job of keeping the hungry deer out.

Aaaand ... a few more from the day this past week when we got pelted by hail. Crazy wild hail storm on the New Hampshire/Maine border on the afternoon of August 27th! Lotsa rain and thunder. No harm done, really. And at least the car did not look like the surface of the moon.